# inquiry

Pronunciation: say "in-KWY-uh-ree" US /ɪnˈkwaɪ(ə)ɹi/, UK /ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/

## Noun

1. The act of seeking information by asking questions, including a single question or an act of questioning.
   - Simple: The act of asking questions to find out information.
   - _A quick inquiry to the help desk cleared up his confusion about the booking._
   - _The committee responded to public inquiries about the new parking policy._
2. A search for truth or knowledge through the examination of facts or principles; a formal investigation into a matter.
   - Simple: A careful search to find out the truth about something.
   - _The independent inquiry examined every document related to the building's collapse._
   - _Scientific inquiry advances by testing ideas against careful observation._

## Origin

This word comes from Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, which combines in- ('in, into') with quaerō ('I seek, look for'). The root quaerō is of uncertain origin, but possibly traces back to Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō and Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- ('to acquire'). It was later respelled to match the original Latin form rather than the Old French one.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/inquiry (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).